X-Men Evolution...Whisper in the Air
by Claudia Magic
Summary: Nightcrawler is having odd dreams, and someone has attacked a student on the institute's grounds.
1. Default Chapter

"Just go away! Why do you always have to do that?" Kitty Pryde snapped at Kurt Wagner hanging over her head. "You are so creepy! Go away!"  
  
"But I just vanted-"  
  
"No! Look Kurt, just leave me alone. You are always bugging me!" Kitty said, slamming the door in his face. Kurt turned slowly and started down the  
hallway. He heard a whirring noise in the background and recognized Professor  
Xavier's wheelchair coming closer.  
  
"As I was saying I think that we should be more worried about the damage to the premises on the north side of the institute." Professor Xavier stared at Logan who was turning down the hall. Logan grunted.  
  
"But we should study the student who was attacked, if we don't find out how, the students will never go outside again. Most are staying inside for fear of being attacked." Professor Xavier said, as he wheeled his chair to the right of Logan.  
  
"Whatever it is, its gonna be in trouble when I find out if it has been ruining the grounds." Logan repeated gruffly.  
  
"Professor, can I talk-" Kurt began before the professor held up his hand.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kurt, but I am really very busy with the business of the intruder on the grounds. Why don't you ask Ororo if you need some assistance? I'm sure she'd be happy to help you." Logan turned and Professor Xavier wheeled away without waiting for an answer. Kurt kicked the ground with his shoe, and turned around to find our if Ororo Munroe was in her office. He heard yelling and walked toward the gym.  
  
"That was tight man! I saw that pass back there, and oh man! Was it good!" Evan Daniels said still dribbling the basketball on the tile floor near the court. Kurt stopped as he passed the door to listen. Scott Summers smiled, and just grabbed the ball and ran to half court.  
  
"Hey!" Kurt jumped out of the shadows, and waved to Evan.  
  
"What's up Kurt?" Evan said, taking his eyes of Scott for a split second.  
  
"Mind if I shoot a few?" Kurt asked anxiously watching Scott try for a  
three-pointer.  
  
"No way man!" Scott shouted from the free-throw line, "Evan is mine! I need a rematch, he can't beat me this easy!" Evan looked quickly at Kurt and shrugged his shoulders, and then ran off toward Scott. Kurt sighed and turned back toward the hallway, wandering toward Ororo's office.  
  
When he finally came to Ororo's office, he found the door open, and so he went inside, staying close to the door.  
  
"Hello, Kurt." Ororo said warmly without looking up. " You look a little down on yourself." She smiled, and so Kurt relaxed and slumped into the big  
leather, over-stuffed chair he loved to sit in. She heard him sigh again. " So I was  
right, something wrong?" Ororo put down her pencil, and settled back into her  
chair. She raised a finger and a breeze blew through the window and pushed the  
oak door shut.  
  
"Actually, it is about a dream I've been having. Vhen I usually dream, I am here vith my friends and professors at the institute. But lately, my dreams are much vierder and are somevhere else." Kurt licked his lips, and continued, " I don't know anybody in them, and at first, I didn't like it. But everyone there treated me very nicely, and now its a really relaxing dream." Kurt explained, although he still held a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
"I don't understand. If it is so relaxing, why are you bothered by it?" Ororo asked folding her hands and leaning foreword.  
  
"Maybe because vhen I vake up I feel like I have lost something, or because vhen I have a regular dream about here vith my friends, it alvays turns out to be a nightmare." Kurt said cautiously, "But that is not vhat is bothering me. Vhat is, is that I know that there's some kind of meaning. Its trying to tell me something, but I can't figure it out."Kurt looked almost dissapointed with himself, and so Ororo felt obliged to help out in any way.  
  
"Kurt, to understand what is troubling you, I'd have to ask you many  
questions. I think you could figure it out on your own much easier. But, I can start  
you out." Ororo paused for a moment, " Is there some reason why being at the  
institute makes you feel unsafe or unsure of yourself, Kurt?" Ororo watched his eyes twitch, and then return to normal.  
  
"I, I think I'm going to go for a walk and think this out. Is that okay?" Kurt said, looking down so she couldn't see his eyes. She could always tell things by looking into someone's eyes.  
  
"I think that would be okay, just be back in time for dinner, and don't worry too much, and if it keeps bothering you, please come back and talk to me again. Okay Kurt?" Ororo saw a a saddening gleam in his eye she had never seen there before.  
  
Kurt nodded slowely, then thanking her, opened the oak door and headed for the entrance doors to the outside. 


	2. Continuing from last...Kurt is having st...

  
!~!~!~!~!~! X-Men Evolution...Whisper in the Air(II)  
  
As soon as Kurt stepped outside, he felt himself relax. 'Maybe being stuck inside is making me tense. I should get outside more.' he thought to himself. He walked down the steps, and gazed over the huge lawn, filled with trees and all kinds of blooming floral, sending sweet fragrances. He was glad to be in such a beautiful place, but why would he feel unsafe? None of the students ever tried to harm him. But there was still something small in the back of his head that wouldn't let it go.   
  
He took a deep breath and decided not to think of it anymore. He was so much relieved, that he didn't notice Ororo watching from the library's window. She turned away after she saw his tail twitching with ease.  
  
Kurt continued walking throughout the front grounds, and when he had covered most of the trails through them, he made his way to the back. He approached the huge gate, and not wanting to disturb anyone with the noise that the gate made, he simply used his power of teleporting to transfer himself to the other side. Quickly he pulled himself back as he heard a couple of students passing. He didn't really feel like company and only smiled when they passed, but neither of him noticed him so far in the shadows.  
  
Kurt looked out over the other grounds now, realizing that since his coming here, he had never really come this way, through the back. It gave him a spark of adventure, and so he chose a path near the east side wall. He gazed at the field of flowers and forests of trees, and ivy covered walls. He remembered their last gardener, who had disappeared from the grounds, but the professor said his mother had taken ill, and he had to live with her from then on. He had cared for the grounds so well, and it still remained as he had left it, now taken care by the students and teachers. Then Kurt looked ahead, and further on, he saw a gleam dancing in the middle of the ivy.  
  
Quickly, Kurt looked around, seeing if anyone was watching or nearby. No one was, and so he ran ahead, staring intensely for the silver object. Pushing through the leaves, he looked until his eyes hurt. Then, he reached his hand out, and it clasped on to a delicate silver handle. But what would a handle be doing here? The only gate was the one in the very back, and he couldn't have gone that far. No, besides that gate was huge, and it wasn't this covered with vines.   
  
Eagerly, Kurt began pulling the ivy away, and pushing it aside to get a good look at what the handle was for. Although it was silver, it was still almost completely rusted over, as was the edges of the gate, it had wood slats the same color as the brick walls, and had rod iron in between and around. The wood, however was  
beginning to rot and the rod iron was rusting, as the color was fading. But the gate still looked cheerful and it then hit Kurt, that he had never heard of a door on the east side before, and if no one had ever been through, then he had discovered a secret door. His first reaction was to run back and announce to anyone he could find  
that he had found a secret door in the wall. But what if they had already found out, it would just make him look like a fool to everyone. No, he decided he had to find out what was behind it. Once again, he smiled with excitement.  
  
Seeing all the rust on the door, he braced his leg against the wall, and grabbed the handle with both hands. Then, counting in his head, he gave a huge pull. But nothing happened. He pulled again, thinking it might be still stuck with rust. Then, moving one of his hands for a better grip, Kurt noticed a piece of the handle cut away a little from the rest, and it looked like a button, and when he pressed it and pulled slightly, the door swung easily. Then, bending down, he inspected the rust on the door frame, and it appeared to have been scraped from the outside, but not from the inside, meaning that someone had recently gotten inside, from out in the forest.  
  
Stepping outside and into the forest, he saw its majestic trees growing higher than the roof of the institute. Then he heard a slam, and turning around, he realized the gate had shut, and he was now locked outside the institute, far from any other gate that could let him back in. Then another thought hit him; he couldn't use his power to teleport inside because the professor had once said there was something that could keep most mutant powers from transferring through or using upon the wall. And because of the spikes on the top of the narrow wall, he couldn't even teleport to the top and jump over. Kurt breathed in sharply. Now he was stuck  
outside the safety of the institute, and possible with the thing that had attacked the student! 


	3. X-Men Evolution...Whisper in the Air (II...

  
Kurt pulled his jacket tighter around him, a cold wind blowing at his back. He seemed to be getting lost, and yet he was still on the same path, heading toward the back gate. The thick bushels of trees sprouting suddenly here and there across his way left him dodging them, and moving further and further from the safety of the wall. He turned another sharp path, trying to head toward the wall, but for some reason, the wind was still at his back. That's when he heard a sudden crack of a twig behind him. His thoughts of the attacker came flooding back, and his face paled over.  
  
"W-Who's there?" Kurt said, turning quickly around, keeping his back to the tree behind him. The wind just whislted back in return. Eyeing the trees around him, he turned and walked faster down the path, leaves crunching underneath his feet. He zipped his jacket up and pulled the collar up around his neck, which was now having shivers pulse through anyways. His spine tingled, and then he heard someone whisper in his ear. He froze, then spun around ready to beat the hell out of them from pure fright. But only air met his eyes.   
  
Suddenly, his eyes darted to the ground, where he could see a pair of footprints sitting in the leaves, freshly made, in fact still being used. His eyes grew huge as he watched in awe. A sudden transarency filled the footprints, making way for a shape, and then, a figure. It was a human, and finnaly the last bit of transarancy pulled away, and he could see every bit of her. She stood there, with daring eyes piercing through him, simple clothes, and a unique stance.  
  
"I, " she paused, "Should be asking you the same thing."   
  
Kurt, remembering his training, sprung into action, if she was the attacker, he had to know, before she got him first. He transported to a tree above her, then beside her, then back where he first was. She jumped and landed in a nearby tree with ease, then again floated down to the ground. When she landed, Kurt took the chance, and pounced on her, grabbing her wrists, and dragging her down. He held her pinned to the ground on her side, both breathing heavily now.  
  
"Let me go!" she jutted around, trying to pull away, but Kurt had the advantage. Suddenly he realized she was turning transparent again, so he held her wrists tighter, but then became smaller, until he held a fist full of nothing, and she had dissapeared, not become invisible.  
  
The air was heavy now, and he turned around, looking wildly for her, or any signs of her placement in the grounds. But there was none. But the wind was back. Only not as cold, and not as strong.  
  
Then he heard her whisper in his ear with a sence of insistancy, "Don't breath in!". But it was too late, and Kurt collapsed to the ground, unknowing of the wind picking him up and sweeping him into the forest. 


	4. X-men Evolution...Whisper in the Air (IV...

Kurt groaned, he breathed in deeply, and cracked an eyelid, expecting to see the  
ceiling of his bedroom. But there was the girl, still leaning over him with curiosity. So he  
yelled.  
  
"Shut up! Shut up! Stop yelling as if the world is coming to an end!" she snapped,  
getting up and dusting herself off. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I didn't mean to make you  
sick..." she trailed off, turning away.  
  
"Vhat are you doing? Who do you think you are?" Kurt accused boldly as he sat  
up, and steadied himself against a tree, but then began swaying again. Quickly, the girl ran  
over and caught him, and gently lowered him back onto the rock.  
  
"You shouldn't move, it will only make it harder on yourself. I see you still haven't  
recovered completely, but a lot faster than the last. I never saw him again." She said as she  
sprung to her feet and went over to a bush full of scarlet colored berries.  
  
"You mean you are the one who attacked the student? Vhat vere you doing inside  
our grounds?" Kurt said, holding his forehead. The girl's eyes narrowed, and she leaned  
against a tree, chewing on an apple she had pulled out of her sack.  
  
"I told you, it was an accident. And I didn't attack him, he attacked me first. But  
there was someone else out there, who frightened the boy first. Naturally I came out of my  
invisibility to see who it was, and the next thing I know, I was hit in the back, and I  
freaked..." she trailed off again, staring at his face. "What? Did you think I was gonna  
suck your blood? I already know your one too."  
  
"You mean an X-men?" Kurt asked, tilting his head as he pulled a chain out of his  
shirt, and the pendant with the X-men symbol. To his surprise, she dropped the apple, and  
kept her eyes on the chain.  
  
"I...I didn't know you were from the inside...I'm sorry, I swear, I didn't mean to  
hurt anyone, I swear..." the girl continued mumbling apologies, when Kurt noticed she  
was beginning to disappear.  
  
"No! Stop, it's okay, he'll be fine. Don't vorry." Kurt said with relief as she formed  
again. He stood up and walked over. " I am Kurt, Kurt Vagner, aka Nightcrawler." he  
smiled proudly, " I am an X-men, from the inside as you say. Now, vhat are you doing out  
here?"  
  
"I have been called Anya since I can remember, but I am not sure if that is my real  
name, although it may be." she stuck out her hand. "I will explain if you will come with  
me." Anya pushed the bushes away from a path hidden between two oak trees. Kurt got  
up, revived completely from whatever it was that had made him so sick.  
  
They walked for a bit, side by side, silently. Kurt followed without asking, she  
leading without checking whether he was right behind her. Then, in the middle of the  
silence, she laughed. Not just a small light laugh, but a loud, joyful laugh. Kurt looked  
startled at first, but realized, he was laughing with her.  
  
"Well, Kurt, aka Nightcrawler, I suppose I should explain what happened to you.  
As you can see, I'm not as sure of what I control as you do." Anya looked down, and  
brushed her hair back. "I really am sorry for startling you, I was just seeing if you were the  
one I was looking for."  
  
Kurt nodded, "I understand, it vas hell trying to understand vhat I really controlled  
at first. But vith a professor's help, I finally figured it out." he continued, "Who are you  
looking for?"  
  
"A woman, who is like us. She has very special mutant powers, far beyond many."  
Anya said, pulling back the final bush, and letting Kurt see the back gate of the institute.  
"Her name, is Storm." 


	5. X-Men Evolution...Whisper in the Air (V)

"Storm?" Kurt repeated quickly, too quickly. Anya spun around and grabbed his hand. Kurt jerked it away, so she wouldn't feel his three furry fingers through the hologram. Even if she knew he was a mutant, he still didn't want to reveal his biggest weakness. But Anya didn't seem to notice, her face filled with surprise.  
  
"Do you know who that is?" Anya asked excitedly. He looked up again at her bright smile.  
  
"Actually-" Kurt felt a sharp feeling ripple through him. He couldn't tell her. He had never been jealous like this, but she was the only one who had noticed he was even breathing for the past few days. If he told her, she would find Storm, and then she would leave, and he would go back to being in the shadows. Feeling another wave of guilt, he continued, "Actually, I've never heard of her before." He looked away, as she probed his eyes, just like Storm did.  
  
"Oh, well thats okay, I guess. I mean, don't worry about it, I'll find out." said Anya, reasuringly, but by the look on her face, she wasn't. They walked up to the gate, wondering if this was the end. Kurt turned to Anya.  
  
"Anya?" Kurt said as he stared through the gates at the solumn institute, now empty of the new students Professor Xavier had taken on.  
  
"Yes?" Anya turned quickly away from the gate to look at him. He felt another wave of guilt, but swallowed and continued.  
  
"Do you think you could help me over?" Kurt asked, wondering if she knew he had lied to her. Anya's face fell a little, but then she looked back up.  
  
"Of course, Kurt. I would do anything to help you." Anya said, as she began to become transparent. "Now hold still." Kurt saw her finish dissapearing, then he felt his feet rise, and he stared akwardly at the ground, and as soon as he was at the top, and over the top, he jumped off and over. He turned around to see her steadying herself while she was reappearing.  
  
"You okay, Anya?" Kurt asked, watching her rise again. She nodded and smiled.  
  
"I hope to see you again, and please, tell the others, I am very sorry. I didn't mean to hurt that boy." And then Anya ran back into the woods, only pausing to wave to Kurt once more, before vanishing into the trees.  
  
Kurt turned around and looked at the towering institute again. He slowely began walking down one of the paths away from the gate, and toward the side gate. He knew it was dinner time, and that he could get to the dining room faster through the front doors. He took his time, now greatly appreciating the time Storm had given him off of training and school work, even if it was only for a few hours. He transported through the gate, and finished his trip to the front door quickly. As soon as he stepped inside, he felt his tranquility escape, and his mind filled with warped messages, like when the professor and Jean tried to contact him through telepathic thinking.  
  
Feeling dizzy again, Kurt headed straight for the dining table so he could get something to eat. As soon as he stepped inside again, he felt every eye in the entire room go directly for the door; and him. 


End file.
